Adjustable clothesline prop



June 23, 1931. p, SHRQYER I 1,811,281

ADJUSTABLE CLOTHESLINE PROP Filed Dec. 25, 1929 N? g III/(1.111111,

Patented June 23, 1931 UNITED STATES PERRY 1r. snnovna, or nnxron, 01:10

nmosmnnn GLOTHESLINE rnor Application filed December 28. 1929. Serial No. 416,009.

My invention relates to supports and struts and more particularly to an adjustable strut for use as a clothesline prop or for analogous purposes.

6 In the present invention there is contemplated a strut or prop comprising relatively reciprocatory sections slidingly mounted,one upon the other, and provided with an automatic clutch means which permits the free 10 adjustment of the sections longitudinally into extended relation but which will automatically lock the sections against retractive movement.

A The object of the invention is to simplify the structure as well as the means and mode of operation of such devices, whereby they will not only be cheapened in construction, but will be more efficient in use, capable of being adjusted to different extent, adapted to be automatically locked against retraction, of strong and durable construction and unlikely to get out of order.

A'further object of the invention is to provide an improved form of automatic clutch or locking device for the relatively sliding members operative in one direction.

A further object of the invention is to provide a cheap but simple form of strut or prop capable of being easily and quickly extended.

With the above primary and other incidental objects in view, as will more fully appear in the specification, the invention consists of the features of construction, the parts and combinations thereof and the mode of operation or their equivalents as hereinafter described and set forth in the claims. I

Referring to the accompanying drawings wherein is shown the preferred but obviously not necessarily the only form of embodiment of the invention, Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an adjustable clothesline prop embodying the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation partly in section of a portion of-the relatively adjustable sections illustrating the automatic interlocking clutch.

'Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional view on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is aside elevation partly in section of the adjustable members illustrating the stop for limiting their adjustment in one direction.

Fig. 5 is a detail sectional view of a modification.

Like parts'are indicated by similar characters of reference throughout the several views.

While the present invention is herein shown and described in its application as a clothesline prop, it is to be understood that it is not limited to such use but by thrusting one end into the ground, it may be employed as an adjustable strut or standard for securing growing plants, or it may be employed as an adjustable brace in building con- 05 struction or the like. As illustrated in the drawing, the adjustable strut or clothesline prop comprises two longitudinally adjustable bars 1 and2 slidingly connected with each other by means of keeper loops 3. Each bar 1 and 2 carries one of the keeper loops 3 which encloses the complementary bar. One of the relatively adjustable bars is provided, adjacent to one end thereof, with an inclined groove 4 located in the face of the bar con- 7 tiguous to the complementary bar. Located within this inclined groove and confined by the overlapping portion of the companion bar is a ball 5 which may be a steel bearing ball of suitable size or in practice a glass marble has been found quite satisfactory. As the strut or top is extended by an upward sliding movement of the bar 1 of the drawing, the frictional contact with the ball 5 tends to carry such ball toward the deeper portion of the inclined groove 4 and the adjustment is quite freely effected. However, upon a retrograde movement of the bar 1, the

engagement of the locking ball 5 with the adjacent face of the bar 1 tends to carry the ball into the more shallow portion of the inclined groove thereby causing the ball to wedge between the inclined surface of one bar and the adjacent face of the complementary bar. This locking engagement is further facilitated by gravity since the converging end of the inclined groove 4 is positioned downwardly. Thus the tendency is for the ball 5 to roll toward such contracted end of the groove by gravity. To unlock the engaged bars it is, only necessary to advance one bar relat1ve to the other a slight degree suflicient to loosen the ball, whereupon it may be moved with the finger into the deeper-portion of the groove or t e device may be turned to a reverse inclined position, thus allowing the locking ball to move into the deeper portion of the groove by gravity, whereupon the bars 1 and 2 may be freely retracted into over-.

. of thebars in the opposite direction is limited by the interengagement of the keeper loops 3, one with the other.

From the above description it will be apparent that there is thus provided a-device of the character described possessing theparticular features of advantage before enumerated as desirable, but which obviously is susceptible of modification in its form, proportions, detail construction and arrangement of parts without departing from the principle involved or sacrificing any of its advantages.

While in order to comply with the statute the invention has been described in language more or less specific as to structural features, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the specific details shown, butthat the means and construction herein disclosed comprise the preferred form of several modes of puttingthe invention into .effectand the invention is, therefore, claimed in any of its forms or modifications within the legitimate and valid scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

' 1. In a clothes line prop or the like, two

bars arranged in parallel contacting relation, keeper bands carried by each bar and enclosing the other for relative longitudinal sliding motion, one of the bars having an inclined notch in its face contiguous to the other bar the'inclined surface of such notch being longitudinally grooved, and a ball having rollmg movement in the inclined groove into and out of wedging engagement with the other of said bars,- said ball being accessible through the open sides of the notch above the groove for disengagement from its wedging position said ball acting to lock the bars against retractive movement but permitting the extension by relative longitudinal sliding adjustment.

2. In an adjustable support of the character described, two relatively reciprocatory sections slidingly connected with each other, one of the sections having. a longitudinally disposed inclined notch in 1ts contiguous face, and a movable locking bod confined within said notch and wholly wit in the space between the lateralfaces of the notched section whereby no portion of said movable locking member projects beyond the face thereof, said movable locking member being accessible through the open sides of the notch for inanual manipulation and movable by gravity into wedging contactwith the other section upon relative movement of the sections in one direction to lock said sections against further relative adjustment in the same direction, said sections being freely movable in the opposite direction.

3. In a' device of the character described, two bars interengaged for longitudinal sliding motion relative to each other, one of the bars having a longitudinally disposed inclined notch in its face abutting the other bar the inclined face of such notch being longitudinally grooved, and a ball rolling in said groove into and out of wedging engagement between the bars to lock the bars against longitudinal movement in one direction, said ball being confined wholly between the lateral faces of the bar and accessible through the open sides of the notch above the groove for disengagement from its wedging position.

4. Ina device of the character described, two bars interengaged for longitudinal sliding motion relative to each other, clutch means interlocking the bars against relative movement in one direction but permitting relative movement in the opposite direction, and stop means positioned upon the adjacent faces of the respective bars and each overlapped by the opposite bar when retracted, said stop means interengaging to limit the relative retraction of the bars when the ends of the respective bars are substantially in registry.

5. two bars interengaged for longitudinal sliding motion relative to each other, clutch means interlocking-the bars against relative movement in one direction but permitting relative movement in the opposite direction, a stop carried by one bar adjacent its end in the face thereof contiguous to the other bar, the other bar having in its contiguous face a longitudinal groove registering with the stop and over-riding the stop, said stop being engageable with the end of the longitudinal groove to limit the relative movement of the bars in one direction. 7

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand this 17th day of Sept. A. D. 1929.

. PERRY H. SHROYER.

In a device of the character described,

lot 

